Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Important notice

Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca
To begin your search, go to the alphabetical index below and click on the first letter of the word you are searching for.

vernacular, colloquial

The adjective colloquial is used in reference to language that is common, down-to-earth or typical of a region; it does not indicate an inferior way of speaking.

  • The colloquial phrase "keep an eye out for" may be replaced by "be wary of" in a formal text.
  • Many visitors "from away" find Newfoundlanders’ colloquial expressions delightful.

Vernacular likewise refers to the language of a particular region or to language that is informal. It can be used as an adjective or as a noun.

  • Dandelion is the vernacular term for the Latin Taraxacum officinale.
  • Since the 1960s, the Catholic Mass has been said in the vernacular rather than in Latin.

Vernacular can also be used to mean language that is specific to an occupation.

  • Delia, not being a mathematician, was unfamiliar with the vernacular of mathematics.